ARRANGEMENTS FOR IDENTIFYING USERS IN A MULTI-TOUCH SURFACE ENVIRONMENT

• US 20090109180A1
• Filed: 10/25/2007
• Published: 04/30/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 10/25/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Seacat, Lisa A., Do, Lydia M., Nesbitt, Pamela A.
• Granted Patent: US 8,719,920 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/173
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/31 User authentication
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/32 using biometric data, e.g. fingerprints, iris scans or voiceprints
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/35 communicating wirelessly
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0416 Control or interface arrangements specially adapted for digitisers
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures

Abstract

Arrangements to identify, in some form, multiple participants by an interactive surface system utilizing multi-touch technology are disclosed. The interactive surface system could identify authorize and allocate space on a surface for a participant based on identifying at least one attribute of the participant such as an object associated with the participant. The method can include searching for a first distinctive attribute of the entity and assigning an identifier to the attribute and storing the identifier for future use the operating the interactive surface based on the participant'"'"'s identity and location. Other embodiments are also disclosed.

Claims

1. A method comprising;

detecting a presence of an entity proximate to a multi-touch interactive surface;

scanning for a distinctive attribute of the entity;

acquiring an attribute of the entity;

acquiring at least a relative location of the entity;

assigning an identifier to the attribute; and

storing the identifier.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising authenticating the entity and restricting the at least some operations based on the authenticating.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the entity is a participant in an activity supported by the multi-touch interactive surface.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein scanning comprises transmitting a query and acquiring comprises accepting a reply to the query.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising comparing the attribute to attributes stored in memory and determining if at least a portion of the attribute is stored in the memory.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein scanning comprises commencing a first type of search to locate a first type of attribute, and commencing a second type of search to locate a second type of attribute.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the attribute is one of a biometric attribute or an image.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the multiple attributes can be acquired concurrently.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the attribute is derived from one of a radio frequency transmission, an audible transmission, or a movement of the entity.

10. A system comprising:

a multi-touch interactive surface;

an identifier module coupled to the multi-touch interactive surface to identify an attribute of an entity that is proximate to the interactive surface;

memory coupled to the multi-touch interactive surface to store data on attributes of entities;

a compare module coupled to the identifier module to compare the identified attribute to the stored data on attributes and to determine a presence of the identified attribute in the memory; and

an assignment module to assign an identifier to the identified attribute when the identifier is absent from the memory;

11. The system of claim 10, further comprising a security module to authenticate a participant and to restrict at least some operations in response to a participant being unauthorized.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein the identifier module comprises a radio receiver.

13. The system of claim 10, wherein the identifier module comprises an audio receiver.

14. The system of claim 10, wherein the identifier module comprises one of a video device, a biometric sensor, a motion sensor or a touch sensor.

15. The system of claim 10, wherein the identifier comprises a gesture reader.

16. A machine-accessible medium containing instructions which, when the instructions are executed by a machine, cause said machine to perform operations, comprising:

detecting a presence of an entity proximate to an interactive surface;

searching for a distinctive attribute of the entity;

acquiring an attribute of the entity;

assigning an identifier to the attribute; and

storing the identifier.

17. The machine-accessible medium of claim 16, that when executed causes the computer to compare the attribute to attributes in memory and assign the identifier in response to an absence of the attribute in the memory and retrieve an attribute file associated with the attribute in response to the attribute being present in the library.

18. The machine-accessible medium of claim 16, that when executed causes the computer to commence a first search to locate a first type of attribute and commence a second type of search type for a second type of attribute.

19. The machine-accessible medium of claim 16, that when executed causes the computer to conduct a second attribute identity process in response to results of the first attribute identity process.

20. The machine-accessible medium of claim 16, that when executed causes the computer to query the entity.